The basic theory and operation of thermoelectric devices has been developed for many years. Presently available thermoelectric devices used for cooling typically include an array of thermocouples which operate in accordance with the Peltier effect. Thermoelectric devices may also be used for heating, power generation and temperature sensing.
Thermoelectric devices may be described as essentially small heat pumps which follow the laws of thermodynamics in the same manner as mechanical heat pumps, refrigerators, or any other apparatus used to transfer heat energy. A principal difference is that thermoelectric devices function with solid state electrical components (thermoelectric elements or thermocouples) as compared to more traditional mechanical/fluid heating and cooling components.
Thermoelectric materials such as alloys of Bi2Te3, PbTe and BiSb were developed thirty to forty years ago. More recently, semiconductor alloys such as SiGe have been used in the fabrication of thermoelectric devices. Typically, a thermoelectric device incorporates both a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor alloy as the thermoelectric materials.
Due to the size of the P-type and N-type elements, the elements are typically oriented using a vibe loader for installation upon the plate according to a predetermined generally alternating pattern. This method is time-consuming and intricate, requires elements geometries that lend themselves to vibe loading, and requires specialized equipment and experienced operators.
As cooling applications progressively require smaller thermoelectric devices, existing manufacturing techniques have been unable to produce effective solutions. Limitations in vibe loading techniques (due to element geometry) and tedious or impossible hand loading processes do not offer valid solutions.